NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Ronald Wayne Carr, 38, of Newport News, Va., has been indicted by a federal grand jury accused of participating in twenty-eight armed robberies in Hampton, Newport News and York County. Prior to Carr’s arrest on Dec. 27, 2012, he was known as the “fake beard" robber.
Neil H. MacBride, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and James Newman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after the indictment was returned.
The indictment charges Carr with interference with commerce by robbery, under a federal statute that makes it a federal crime to rob a business whose operations affect interstate commerce. According to the indictment, Carr committed armed robberies within three separate jurisdictions in Hampton Roads from Dec. 18, 2010 through Nov. 16, 2012. Some of the businesses were robbed multiple times. The robberies occurred at the following businesses - the Auto Zone Store in York County and Hampton; Dollar General in Newport News; Advance Auto Store in Hampton and Newport News; Family Dollar Store in Hampton and Newport News; Captain D’s Restaurant in Newport News; Long John Silver Restaurant in Hampton; and, Bojangle’s Restaurant in Hampton.
The indictment alleges that in the course of the robberies Carr brandished a firearm and pointed the firearm at employees and demanded money belonging to the businesses. The combined total losses from the twenty-eight businesses exceed $47,000.
This investigation is being conducted by ATF’s Washington Field Division, Hampton Police Department, Newport News Police Department and the York County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bradenham, II is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
Criminal indictments are only charges and not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
